391

 

 

WIRKSWORTH HUNDRED.

____________

 

This Hundred is bounded on the north and north-east by the High Peak Hundred, on the east by the Scarsdale Hundred, on the south and south-east, by the Appletree Hundred, and on the west by the river Dove, which separates it from Staffordshire, where at the north-west extremity, the Middle and Upper quarters of the parish of Hartington bound the south-west portion of the High Peak Hundred for ten miles, to the source of the rivers Dove and Goyt. This portion was, by order of Quarter Sessions of 28th June, 1831, annexed to the Bakewell division of Petty Sessions, and is now comprised in the north division of the county, the remainder of the Hundred being in the south division, with the Appletree, Morleston and Litchurch, and Repton and Gresley Hundreds, for which the polling places are Derby, Heanor, Ashbourn, Wirksworth, Melbourn, Belper, and Swadlincote; and those for the north division, Buxton, Alfreton, Bakewell, Castleton, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Chesterfield, Glossop, Tideswell, and Eckington. This Hundred con­tains 77,659 statute acres of land. The northern side of this Hundred partakes of the same features as the High Peak, though not quite so mountainous, and is often designated the Low Peak. It is noted as being almost the first seat of the cotton manufacture, (See Cromford,) for its warm baths at Matlock, its numerous caverns and picturesque dales—particularly Dovedale,—and the rich mineral field at its northern extremity. The southern side is more an agricultural district of fertile land with a variety of soils, principally a red loam on various substrata, and chiefly occupied in dairy farms, many of which are large. Cheese is made to a very considerable extent, and is in great repute for its excellent quality. The houses have been much improved during the last thirty years, and it contains many handsome mansions and neat villa residencies. The old thatched farm houses have in many instances been replaced by handsome modern structures, with convenient and well arranged farm yards. The cottages are also principally built of stone, and roofed with slate.

 

The following table is an enumeration of its 15 parishes, shewing their territorial extent, the annual value, and their population, from 1801 to 1851, as returned at the five decennial periods of the Parliamentary census.

 

The letters after the names signify P for Parish, C for Chapelry, and T for Township.

 

		Rate-	POPULATION.					1851.
Parishes.	Acres	able
		value	1801	1811	1821	1831	1841	Hses.	Males.	Fmles.	Total.
Ashbourn p.  . . . .	57	5000	2006	2112	2188	2246	2158	500	951	1203	2154
Alsop-le-dale and
Eaton c.  . . . . . .	1467	1551	70	61	61	60	67	12	47	33	80
Clifton and Comp-
ton  * c.  . . . . .	1025	2966	627	663	768	839	839	203	421	466	887
Hulland c.  . . . . .	898	985	146	214	221	234	204	51	113	106	219
Hulland Ward t.	1400	1750	176	248	289	286	355	84	202	167	369
Hulland Ward
Intakes t.  . . . .	454	700	37	35	39	46	57	8	23	21	44
Newton Grange t.	744	1091	9	15	38	41	39	6	23	19	42
Offcote Under-
wood t.  . . . . . .	1748	4895	220	257	341	328	344	77	198	231	429
Sturston t.  . . . . . .	916	2539	360	387	561	578	662	145	330	334	664
Yeldersley t.  . . . .	1455	1805	187	210	202	226	211	35	101	98	199
Bentley Fenny p.	976	1745	180	192	242	308	343	62	144	146	290
Bonsall p.  . . . . . . .	2289	3040	1204	1278	1396	1315	1496	337	670	779	1449
Bradbourn p.  . . . .	1433	1320	157	190	210	195	175	35	78	85	163

 

392                                                                          WIRKSWORTH HUNDRED.

 

		Rate-	POPULATION.					1851.
Parishes.	Acres	able
		value	1801	1811	1821	1831	1841